Nigerian Senate opens up on collecting N200m rice palliatives from Tinubu

Adeyemi Adaramodu, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, has refuted media reports claiming that senators received rice worth N200 million from President Bola Tinubu for distribution to their constituents during the Yuletide season.

Contradicting Adaramodu’s denial, a Senate source told TheNation about the distribution, stating that some of the rice palliatives had yet to reach senators.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, affirmed the distribution of palliative items worth N200 million to senators and N100 million to House of Representatives members.

Dada explained, “After initial logistics delay, I can now confirm that Senators and members of the House of Representatives have started taking stock of the Federal Government’s palliative items for their constituents as part of efforts to ease life for all Nigerians. Each HoR member received items worth N100m while Senatorial constituencies got palliative items worth N200m.”

Adaramodu, however, could not be reached for comment despite efforts. In a report, he was quoted denying the insinuation, asserting that neither him nor his colleagues in the southwest had received any palliative items from the federal government. He clarified that he personally funded the distribution of food items and money to his constituents for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

He stated, “As for me, Yemi Adaramodu, I have not received any food items from the Federal Government, maybe when they give us, I will tell you.”

Despite the denial, a source close to the Senate leadership confirmed the ongoing allocation of rice to senators for distribution.